Standing Orders for the Governing Body And

STANDING ORDERS FOR THE GOVERNING BODY AND

COMMITTEES OF THE GOVERNING BODY

These Standing Orders are an attempt to provide governing bodies with clear operating procedures and fall into two categories: Statutory regulations and good practice guidance. The new School Government (Procedures) (England) Regulations (2003) have been used to compile this document.

This document seeks to assist governing bodies to understand and interpret the regulations. This document should be considered in conjunction with other key documents: your school’s Instrument of Government, the Oxfordshire Governors’ Code, the DFES Framework for delegation and the LEASchool Code of Practice.

Governing bodies can adopt these Standing Orders if they wish to do so. They can be adapted prior to adoption but care must be taken to ensure that changes comply with regulations.

This publication was produced after collaboration with Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire LEAs. The group, known as (GLM), was established to facilitate joint working and the sharing of good practice between the governor services teams of the three local authorities.

We believe that by pooling our expertise and knowledge we will be able to produce high quality resources and strategies to support governors’ work, based on a wide range of experience and knowledge which has its roots in a variety of local practice.

STATUTORY

/

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

/ GUIDANCE ADOPTED?
Y/N OR ALTERNATIVE
(PLEASE SPECIFY)

1. Election and Removal of Chair and Vice Chair (Regulation 5)

• The governing body must decide the length of office of the chair and vice-chair; a period not less than 1 year and not greater than 4 years.

• [A chair/vice-chair may resign at any time and a new chair/vice-chair elected.]

• Election procedures need to be decided by the governing body.

• Staff governors cannot be chair or vice-chair of the governing body.

• All candidates must withdraw while the election process is undertaken and shall not vote. (Regulation 14 & Schedule)

/

A one-year term of office recommended.

If the chair/vice-chair resigns mid-term the new chair will be elected for a term of office to be agreed by the governing body.
The clerk should manage the election procedures.
Nominations should be notified to the clerk prior to, or at, the meeting at which the election will take place.
Additional nominations can be received on the day.
All nominations can be self-nomination or nominations from colleagues.
Elections should be by secret ballot
If only one candidate the ballot should accept/decline the candidate.
In the event of a tie the decision will be based on the toss of a coin. /

Term of office Years

Term of office expires on

Clerk to manage process? (Y/N)
Nominations written/oral? (Y/N)
Additional nominations accepted? (Y/N)
Secret Ballot (Y/N)

STATUTORY

/

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

/ GUIDANCE ADOPTED?
Y/N OR ALTERNATIVE
(PLEASE SPECIFY)

2. Urgent Action (Regulation 6)

The chair (or the vice-chair if the chair is absent) may take urgent action in circumstances where a delay may be seriously detrimental to the interests of:

• the school;
• any pupil at the school (or his parent);
• any person who works at the school.

/ A meeting can be called in less that 7 days in an emergency and therefore ‘delay’ should be interpreted as anything that cannot wait until such a meeting could be called.
Emergency action should only be used in extreme circumstances.
3. Appointment and Removal of the Clerk (Regulation 8)
The governing body shall appoint the clerk to the governing body.
The clerk to the governing body must not be:
a)A governor;
b)An associate member;
c)Headteacher of the school.
[In an emergency a governor (not the headteacher) may clerk for that meeting only.]
The governing body may remove a clerk from office by resolution. / A full job description for clerks is available from the LEA or Governornet.
(
Seek HR (Personnel) advice from personnel provider. / Name of clerk:

STATUTORY

/

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

/ GUIDANCE ADOPTED?
Y/N OR ALTERNATIVE (PLEASE SPECIFY)
4. Meetings and proceedings of the Governing Body (Regulation 10)
The following persons have a right to attend all meetings of the governing body: (Regulation 14)

• Headteacher;
• All governors (unless suspended);
• Clerk;
• Associate members* who have been agreed by the full governing body (unless the governing body requires them to leave for items relating to an individual member of staff or pupil).

* The governing body decides who shall be associate members.

(Regulation 11)

There must be at least 3 meetings of the full governing body each school year.
Meetings of the full governing body must be convened by the clerk.
Any 3 members of the GB may requisition a meeting by giving written notice, including a summary of the business, to the clerk.
The agenda /reports /papers shall be sent to the governors 7 days before the meeting. / The governing body may invite other persons to attend at their discretion (e.g. Officers of the LEA).
The governing body should decide whether meetings are open to the public for non-confidential matters.
The governing body should decide whether an item under discussion is likely to relate to an individual member of staff or pupil – requiring an associate member to withdraw.
Schools usually hold 6 meetings per year but this depends on the way in which governing body and its committee meetings are organised. Fewer meetings of the full governing body may be appropriate if more responsibilities are delegated to committees
Ideally items for the agenda should be notified to the clerk 2 weeks before the meeting. / Meetings will be open to the public? (Y/N)
Names of Associate Members



Number of planned meetings per term?
Autumn
Spring
Summer

STATUTORY

/

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

/ GUIDANCE ADOPTED?
Y/N OR ALTERNATIVE
(PLEASE SPECIFY)
A governor who, without the consent of the governing body, fails to attend full governing body meetings for a period of 6 months is disqualified. (School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2003: Regulation 20 & Schedule 6) / A record (in the minutes of the meeting) of governing body consent or otherwise for absence is essential in order to invoke disqualification.
If no apology is received then no consent can be granted. / Agreement of absence is a standard item on governing body agenda? (Y/N)

5.Quorum (Regulation 12)

For all meetings of the governing body the quorum will be 50% of the number of governors in post.
The headteacher must notify the clerk in writing if they do not wish to be a governor of their school. (This decision does not affect the quorum.)
Associate members should not be included in the calculation for quorum. / The quorum for our governing body is:

1. Voting (Regulation 12)

All matters are decided by a majority vote. In the event of a tie the chair (or acting chair) has an additional (casting) vote.
(Except in the election of chair or vice-chair – see Reg. 5.)

STATUTORY

/

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

/ GUIDANCE ADOPTED?
Y/N OR ALTERNATIVE (PLEASE SPECIFY)
7. Minutes and Papers (Regulation 13)

Minutes should be prepared by the clerk. Signed minutes must be available for public inspection, with the exception of confidential items:

• items which refer to an individual parent pupil or member of staff;
• other items the governing body deems confidential.

(Please refer to FOI Act requirements.)
A resolution to rescind or vary a resolution carried at a previous meeting shall not be proposed at a subsequent meeting unless it is an agenda item for that meeting. / Draft minutes, excluding confidential items, that have been approved by the chair should be made available as soon as possible after the meeting. These should be marked ‘subject to ratification’.
Confidentiality should be restricted to a few very sensitive items.
The way individual governors vote, and their opinions should be regarded as confidential. / The governing body’s minutes will be available:

• On the school notice board

(Y/N)

• School website (Y/N)

• From the school office (Y/N)

• Other

8. Restrictions on Participation (Regulation 14 & Schedule)
Governors must declare at the start of any meeting if they have a potential conflict of interest, or where a fair hearing is required and their impartiality is in doubt. In such a case the governor must withdraw and cannot vote.
Governors must complete a register detailing pecuniary interests or conflicts of interest and withdraw from the meeting if appropriate. / An annual register of interests must be established and updated annually / Date for annual update of register:

In the event of a dispute the governing body decides whether the individual should withdraw.

STATUTORY

/

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

/ GUIDANCE ADOPTED?
Y/N OR ALTERNATIVE
(PLEASE SPECIFY)
9. Suspension (Regulation 15)
A governing body can suspend a member of the governing body for a limited number of prescribed reasons for a period not exceeding 6 months (refer to Regulations). / This should be used as a last resort. / A Code of Conduct has been adopted by the governing body? (Y/N)
10. Delegation to Committees and Individuals (Regulations 16 & 17)
The full governing body, in accordance with regulations, must annually decide any delegation to the headteacher, committees or individuals.
(These requirements do not apply to other working groups without delegated powers.) / Ref. Regulations
. / A framework for delegation has been agreed and recorded
(Y/N)
(Regulation 20)
The committee shall decide the quorum which must be at least 3 governors.

STATUTORY

/

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

/ GUIDANCE ADOPTED?
Y/N OR ALTERNATIVE
(PLEASE SPECIFY)
(Regulations 20, 22 & 23)
A chair shall be appointed annually to each committee by the governing body or elected by the committee, as determined by the governing body. (Cannot be the headteacher).
The governing body must agree the names of associate members of committees and whether they have been granted voting rights (associate members must not outnumber the governors).
Associate members may not vote on the following issues: admissions, pupil discipline, appointment of governors, budget
and financial commitments. / Where possible, all governors should be notified of the committee agendas and be able to contribute in writing or by attending. Where items of specific interest arise. If you are not a designated member of the committee you will not be able to vote.
The regulations exclude associate members from voting on: admissions; pupil discipline; appointment of governors; budget and financial commitments.
(Regulation 21)
All committees must be clerked but this can be undertaken by a governor who is a member of the committee or an associate member. The headteacher is not permitted to clerk a committee.
Seven days notice must be given for all committee meetings and agendas circulated. / Minutes of all committee meetings to be circulated to all governors.
Confidential minutes are confidential to those present at the meeting only.
Delegated decisions taken by committees should be reported to the governing body but not re-debated except where a rescission is being considered.
It is recommended that the governing body appoint and pay a trained clerk. / Name of committee

Name of clerk

Name of committee
Name of clerk

Name of committee

Name of clerk